In a fleet dominated by small patrol frigates and cruisers, the Matrix Destroyer is something of an oddity. One of the first destroyers to mount the new phaser weapons, the Matrix was intended as a companion of the larger Basalt Dreadnought. The Matrix Destroyer was the first Tholian warship to mount the light photon torpedo, a device reverse engineered from captured Klingon samples a decade earlier. The mix of fast firing phaser weapons and ranged ballistic capabilities made the Matrix a perfect companion for larger heavy combat vessels and capital ships.

The ultimate downfall of the Matrix Destroyer is linked to its phaser systems. The ship was designed specifically to be equipped with intermediate phasers, a weapon that would eventually prove wonting. Tholian engineers had not included suitable upgradability into the Matrix to allow for an upgrade to full-fledged medium phasers. Without such an upgrade the Matrix simply did not have the firepower to remain competetive.